1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wireless networks, and in particular, to device discovery in a wireless network.
2. Description of the Related Technology
A wireless network typically includes a plurality of wireless devices that can wirelessly communicate with one another. When two wireless devices in such a network communicate with each other, the wireless devices may perform device discovery to locate each other, and then start transmission of data and/or control signals. While the data transmission rate of the devices typically controls the overall performance of the network, the efficiency of the device discovery may also affect the performance of the network.
In many instances, at least one of wireless devices in a wireless network can be mobile. In other instances, a new device can enter an existing wireless network. In these instances, the devices in the network may need to discover the mobile device or the new device for wireless communication. With certain wireless devices, a device discovery process for a mobile or new device can be time-consuming due to the design of the antenna systems of the wireless devices. Thus, there is a need for providing an effective device discovery process to enhance the performance of a wireless network.